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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. field — a subject
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. drill — the tool
  11. field — farmland
  12. drill — army training
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rest — what's left
  21. field — for sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com